Oppenheimer has been censored in some regions – leading to the inclusion of a CGI dress in one scene involving Florence Pugh’s Jean Tatlock.
As confirmed by IGN, the intimate moment between a post-coital Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and his Communist lover sat across from each other – the last time they meet – has been changed for Indian audiences. Instead of showing flesh, the censors opted to cover Pugh’s body with a black dress. You can see a screenshot of the scene below. Don't worry, it's safe for work.
A censored version of ‘OPPENHEIMER’ is being screen in several countries, with a CGI black dress covering Florence Pugh. pic.twitter.com/3SXea7pbCtJuly 24, 2023
There are also reportedly multiple other acts of censorship in the three-hour film, which depicts the life of physicist Robert J. Oppenheimer and his most infamous work, the creation of the atomic bomb.
They include Pugh’s back being censored during a sex scene with Oppenheimer in the biopic’s first act, as well as a warning about smoking. We imagine they got a lot of use out of that one.
Indian censors had previously courted controversy by suggesting cuts to David Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in 2012. The movie, which stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, was ultimately pulled from release in the country.
The cuts and changes in India and in other regions haven’t affected Oppenheimer’s global box office, which currently stands at $175 million after its opening weekend.
Oppenheimer, which stars Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Florence Pugh, is currently in cinemas. For more from the film, check out our Christopher Nolan discussing Oppenheimer's R Rating, our interview with Emily Blunt, and why Barbie and Oppenheimer make the perfect double bill.